After leaving Saratoga Springs on the morning of the 13th, we were excited about being "officially" underway. We had previously decided that we were not truly started until we were out of Vermont. It was a struggle to make that happen, but now it was true. As I write this, I remember now that I never did finish cleaning out the frig, I suppose if I call Sutton and tell him, free beer, he'll finish the job for me. Crashing for the night in Saratoga wasn't so bad and Fisher was indoctrinated into camping Wal*Mart style. She seemed happy to smell the sweet smells of the Walmart parking lot, complete with remains of Happy Meals. Fighting the seagulls for them seemed no problem for her, surely an inherited skill from her Siberian ancestors along the Bering Sea. Today was spent traveling through Indian country. First along the Susquahana and then the Allegany, causing Bucky to question his wisdom in having the rifle packed away as we headed into the Seneca Nation. How convenient that the road signage is in both English and the native Seneca tongue. Having very poor radio reception, Bucky and I stayed amused for an hour or more speaking to each other in Indian. They say that it is polite and respectful to try using the language of the area you are in. I have to admit to using sign language a few times. True to the native culture, a three storied, mirror walled casino sprung out of nowhere and tried to entice us in. Along with this temptation, came the sign for the Zippo Museum. Something of this significance seemed like a "must see" but we managed to blow by contented with images of silver lighters expertly flicked open and the smell of Zippo in our nostrils. We are not surprised that Fisher travels like a veteran of the open road. She is quiet and patient never finding fault with Bucky's driving. Oneonta, Elmira, Cayuga, Cautaugua, Seneca, even Tioga, you have to love the a. We crossed the Genesee River causing Bucky to say, "I want one". Looking at the color of the water made we understand more fully why it is an acquired taste. Through Binghamton, Elmira, Suny Cobelskill, Alfred, Saint Bonaventure and Mercyhurst causing us to recall past students who had attended some of these schools. "Let's see, didn't A.F. go to Alfred and play lax, or was he at Hobart? And Suny Cobelskill, I think that's where N.F. went, or did he go to Suny Morristown?" Memories or lack there of. Trying to figure it all out passed away another hour of driving time. And at the Ohio border one has to wonder why Cleveland rocks?
June 14-15
Well, Middlebury Indiana has some pretty parts, but it doesn't compare to Middlebury, VT. We hear that folks from Middlebury,Vermont settled this area as well as Goshen, Indiana. We stopped at the Jayco factory and looked at a few RV units. There really was nothing that tempted us. What was incredible about the area were tha Amish farms and large Amish community. We seemed to have hit the Amish on wash day as everyone had clothes on the line. By the number of items hanging out to dry, it would seem everyone should be walking about naked. They can't possibly wash all those clothes by hand, must be they have gas washers. Seeing the horses and buggies holding the berm while tractor trailers whized by made the clash of cultures very apparent. It was down hill after Middlebury. I sent Bucky to Elkhart Indiana, the home of Winnebago Industries, the only problem being that Tom Tom our on board navigator couldn't locate it. He sent us around and around until I resorted to calling Pete's RV in Burlington to find out the address.....Forest River Iowa ! By the time that Bucky began speaking to me again, we had missed the whole state of Iowa and were in Wisconsin. And people say that the US is soooo big. We missed a whole state without even trying. I think that things happen for a reason and that God works in mysterious ways. He obviously was relieving us of the temptations we might have felt should we have actually found Winnebago. I had one other revelation today as we motored along. As some of you may or may not know, this school year has been difficult. While flying down I 90 with Dolly Parton belting out 9 to 5 on the radio, an envelope dropped from the overhead and landed in the cab. I tucked it back up only to have three more fall down. I took it as a not so subtle reminder to mail in my contract for work for which I have an extension until the 18th. Let's see, the 15th is today, 16th, 17th, 18th.... hmmm. Note to self, rearrange traveling desk over the cab so as not to have anymore reminders fall on my head.
The farm country of Minnesota was awesome and a strong reminder of where our food comes from. We're in Mitchell, South Dakota tonight, Burke remember the Corn Palace? It's off to Mt Rushmore tomorrow where they've asked to see Bucky in person before they start carving his face into the mountain.
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